Ad
State awards $750,000 to six organizations to establish pre-apprenticeship programs
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair was joined last week by leaders of six organizations that were awarded a share of $750,000 in grants. The funding is designed to support pre-apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields.
Published
Modified
Broadband infrastructure and home energy auditing programs are set to get a boost at Santa Fe Community College thanks to federal funding.
Officials with the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, or NMDWS, announced on Thursday that it has awarded $750,000 to six organizations so they can establish and deliver pre-apprenticeship opportunity programs, including the two at SFCC aimed at providing youth with training that could pave the way to well-paying careers in high-demand fields.
NewSpace Nexus, Northern New Mexico College, Associated General Contractors of New Mexico, Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. NM Chapter, SFCC and STEM Boomerang LLC are the six organizations sharing a slice of the funding, officials said. The programs will provide students with hands-on training, instruction, mentorship and access to registered apprenticeship programs.
The awardees will launch and expand pre-apprenticeship programs in the fields of semiconductor manufacturing, carpentry, construction, broadband, clean energy and high-performance computing.
A driving goal of the programs, which will be implemented by the awarded organizations within a year, is to make New Mexico youth aware of potential career paths available in the state, said NMDWS Cabinet Secretary Sarita Nair in a statement.
“Pre-apprenticeship has become one of our most successful initiatives, with over 700 participants coming through the program in two years,” Nair said.
The awards are being funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the “SAEF2” grant and administered by the NMDWS’s “Building, Energizing, and Connecting through Apprenticeships,” or BECA, program.
“Pre-apprenticeship programs play a vital role in strengthening New Mexico’s workforce pipeline,” Carla Kugler, president and CEO of ABC New Mexico, said in a statement.
“By investing in these initiatives, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive workforce that meets the needs of our state’s growing economy.”
